Thursday, July 31, 2008

TITLE: DE COCK EN DE WORTEL VAN HET KWAAD (DE COCK AND THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL)AUTHOR: BAANTJERPages: 143Date: 31/07/2008Grade: 4+Details: no. 68 Baantjer MysteryOwnWhen a young woman reports her brother missing, and De Cock receives information about the society he was a member of, he decides to take a look at the society's house, only to find the young man, Jean Baptiste, murdered.On further investigation, De Cock and his colleague Vledder discover that the ma had a big amount of money in his account as well as photos of naked boys on his computer.Then, on the same day, another murder is committed, identical to the first one. And still the murderer isn't done and De Cock is no closer to a solution.Until a close look at the society's membership allows him to set a trap for the murderer.This really is a cosy mystery, even if it does feature the police. The mystery is good, and the story is gentle. And visiting Amsterdam is always a pleasure.

Don't let the number of pages in this book fool you, some of the pages contain little more then one sentence.The story in this book is told through notes that a mother and her teenage daughter leave each other on the fridge door, while living their busy lives.But what starts as a rather mundane description of every day life, soon becomes more poignant when the mother discovers a lump in her breast and is diagnosed with what turns out to be a very aggressive form of breast cancer.And while both women try to come to terms with this reality and it's possible outcome, Claire is still a normal teenager going through all the ups and downs that brings with it.Realistic, quietly funny and heartbreakingly sad, this was a very touching read, giving me a lot to think about.

TITLE: TRIPWIREAUTHOR: LEE CHILDPages: 541Date: 29/07/2008Grade: 4.5Details: no. 3 Jack Reacher MysteryOwnReacher is digging swimming pools by hand in Key West, still living life with as few possessions and connections as is humanly possible when an investigator from New York appears, trying to find him. Reacher doesn't tell the man who he is, but finds himself worried when he subsequently finds the investigator murdered, with his fingertips sliced off.Needing to know what's going on, Reacher travels to New York where he's reunited with a woman from his past, and finds himself trying to solve a mystery with its roots in the Vietnam war, while facing an opponent without scruples and completely ruthless who is determined to eliminate anyone who gets in his way, including Reacher.An action packed and thrilling read that would probably have scored higher if I had had the time to really sit down for a good reading session.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

TITLE: MURDER IN A CATHEDRALAUTHOR: RUTH DUDLEY EDWARDSDate: 25/09/2008Grade: 4+Details: no. 7 Robert Amiss Mystery Audio: 6 Cd's / 7 hours, 7 minutes Narrator: Bill WallisLibraryRobert Amiss is recruited by Baroness (Jack) Troutbeck to go to Westonbury to help out David Elworthy, the newly appointed Bishop who is in danger of becoming stuck between different factions of the Church of England.Robert soon finds that church politics and all the varying characters are causing all sorts of problems and tensions. And things aren't helped with the discovery of the corpse of one of the clergy in the cathedral.Recruiting the help of his police officer friend and with constant interference from Jack, Robert starts an investigation but is unable to avoid more upset and death.Fun and a very well plotted mystery with some deep stabs at church politics.

TITLE: TWILIGHTAUTHOR: STEPHENIE MEYERPages: 434Date: 24/07/2008Grade: 4+Details: no. 1 Bella and the Vampires Young AdultLibrary(Isa)Bella Swan isn't happy to be moving to gloomy Forks to live with her father. This soon changes though when she meets the beautiful and mysterious Edward Cullen. She is very attracted to him and it soon appears that feeling is mutual. However, things are far from straightforward since Edward is a vampire, a fact he's kept hidden for a long time, but has to admit to Bella. And while he hopes against hope that this fact will put Bella off and scare her away, it doesn't alter her feelings for him at all.Against their better judgment they become involved. An involvement that will put Bella and those she loves in grave danger.And intriguing, fascinating and fun read, although I did have a problem with the lack of supervision in Bella's life.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

TITLE: SAILAUTHOR: JAMES PATTERSON & HOWARD ROUGHANPages: 388Date: 21/07/2008Grade: 4-Details: Stand-aloneLibraryThis was not a great thriller! From the very start there are few to none mysteries to resolve. In fact, the only question is whether or not he's going to get away with it, and even with that the reader feels safe to hazarded a guess. I kept hoping for some tremendous twist somewhere, but, alas, in vain.The story: In order to try and unite her fractured family, Dr. Katherine Dunne takes her three children, Mark, Carrie and Ernie on a sailing trip, lead by the brother of her diseased first husband. Her new husband, Peter Carlyle stays behind on dry land.From the word go, the sailing is far from smooth, culminating in the sinking of the boat due to a violent storm followed by an explosion.In public, Peter appears to be the worried and grieving husband and stepfather, whereas in private he's looking forward to an enormous inheritance.When it appears that against the odds Katherine and the kids have survived the disasters on sea, the only question is who will find them first, those who would rescue them or those who prefer them dead.

TITLE: SUMMER KNIGHTAUTHOR: JIM BUTCHERPages: 405Date: 19/07/2008Grade: 4+Details: no.4 of The Dresden FilesOwnHarry Dresden is facing a hard time. Having been obsessed with finding a cure for his girlfriend after the events in the last book, for months now, he has paid little attention to the world around him. That's about to change though. With war about to break out between the Summer and Winter Courts of Faerieland and the Council of Wizards about to hand him over to the Vampires unless he sorts the Faerie problem out, Harry had better stop focusing on his other problems.But in this case, nothing is clear cut, and there are no easy answers. Harry has to call on all his resources, instincts and knowledge to not only safe his own life, but also the world as we know it.A fast, furious and thrilling read, as always.

TITLE: THE BONE GARDENAUTHOR: TESS GERRITSENPages: 370Date: 17/07/2008Grade: 4Details: Stand-aloneLibraryAlthough M.E. Maura Isles does make a brief appearance in this book, her role is so peripheral that this book has to be classed as a stand-alone novel for me. And also, to me, this book wasn't as gripping as the previous ones.In the yard of Julia Hamill's house a female skeleton dating back to the early 1800's is found. As Julia investigates the bones and the history of her house and those who lived there, a fascinating and horrific tale unfolds.In the 1830's Boston was in the grip of a brutal murderer, the West End Reaper, who appeared to be killing hospital staff. Rose Connelly is desperately trying to keep her sister's baby girl safe, and gets help from Norris Marshall, a poor farmer's son, hoping to become a doctor.But the reaper appears to be hunting Rose and the baby, and by the time the who and why is uncovered, it will be too late for some.Reincarnation appears to be a recurring theme in my books these days, and it can make stories a bit weak, if you ask me. Still, even if it wasn't a gripping read, it wasn't bad either.

TITLE: CHASING THE DIMEAUTHOR: MICHAEL CONNELLYDate: 14/072008Grade: 4.5Details: Stand-alone Audio: 10 Cd's / 11 hours, 25 minutes Narrator: John ChancerLibraryHenry Pierce's life has revolved around his work to such an extend that it has cost him the relationship with the woman he loves. When he moves into a new apartment, he finds that his new telephone number previously belonged to someone else. He is receiving numerous calls for a woman named Lilly, apparently an escort.While trying to find Lilly in order to end the confusion over the phone number, he discovers that she has disappeared, and Henry becomes obsessed with finding her. Soon he finds himself up to his neck in gangsters and policemen and a whole lot of trouble, with no idea why this is happening to him.Half way through these Cd's I was about ready to give up on this book, I was that exasperated with Henry and his actions, but I'm glad I persevered since the book's ending made it worth all the exasperation. And I did enjoy the reference made to a Hieronymus Bosch painting, although that same reference also reminded me that the Harry Bosch books are really Connelly's masterpiece.

TITLE: THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOWAUTHOR: ELIZABETH NOBLEPages: 437Date: 13/07/2008Grade: 5LibraryNormally I'm not one for the genre that has been labelled "chick-lit"; and I do think that if there is such a genre, this book is probably part of it. That being the case, Things I Want My Daughters to Know, must be (one of) the exceptions that prove the rule.When Barbara dies, aged 60, she leaves her four daughters letters filled with love, advice, truths and one or two shocks.Over the next year her daughters go on an emotional roller coaster with steep learning curves. Lisa's fear of commitment almost costs her a good relationship, while Jennifer has to do something about her stale marriage. Amanda is always on the move, travelling all over the world, but will she ever find a reason to settle down? The youngest daughter, Hannah, is just 16 when Barbara dies and has her teenage ups and downs to deal with, as well as her grief.And then there is their (step) father, Mark, who is facing grief as well as the task of being both parents to the girls.Apart from this being a wonderful yet realistic story, what I loved most about this book is that Elizabeth Noble managed to avoid using some very obvious opportunities to over-dramatize the story. There were moments when I feared she might, but she never did, which made this book a great read for me.

TITLE: BLOOD PRECIOUSAUTHOR: SARAH BANERJIPages: 278Date: 11/07/2008Grade: 4LibraryI expected more from this book. I had heard great things about it, and the premise of the story was great, but somehow it didn't quite come together for me.Lady Arabella Cunningham-Smythe is 80 years old, a snob and aloof. She has also been trying to die for the last year, ever since her husband died. She desperately wants to join him, but others keep on thwarting her attempts to die.When her four year old grand-daughter, Naomi, who she loves dearly, disappears, she has to give up her quest to die in order to safe the little, magical girl. And in the process she has to adjust her views and learn some new skills. And that's where the problem lies for me, because to me Arabella didn't really change an appeared exceptionally dim when it came to figuring out what was going on.Still, not a bad story, or hard to read.

TITLE: THE UNSEENAUTHOR: LEE DRIVERPages: 398Date: 08/07/2008Grade: 4.5Details: no. 3 Chase Dagger MysteryLibraryI enjoyed this mystery with paranormal ingredients far more then I expected to.Chase Dagger is a P.I. ad his young assistant, Sara, is a shape-shifter, a fact that no-one but Chase is aware off.Sergeant Padre Martinez, friend of Chase, is working some cases where the assailant appears to be invisible, as he never shows on security video. Padre suspects an old nemesis of his, who has recently been released from jail. But before he can get the investigation going, he has been framed and suspended from the force.Enter Chase & co, who now have to work out how the murder of a retired scientist and his wife ties in, how the assailant stays invisible, and what his ultimate goal is.

TITLE: THE HANGING IN THE HOTELAUTHOR: SIMON BRETTPages: 375Date: 07/07/2008Grade: 4.5Details: no. 5 Fethering MysteryLibraryJude is asked by a friend who owns Hopwicke Country House Hotel to help out during a function for a local group, called the Pillars of Sussex. They turn out to be a rowdy group of men and one of them gets so drunk that Jude has to help him to bed.When that same man is found dead, hanging from his bed post the next morning, Jude is the only one not prepared to label the death a suicide. With the police, the Pillars and even her friend determined to not investigate any further, Jude recruits her neighbour, Carole Seddon and the two women embark on an investigation of their own. And a new level of urgency is reached when another "Pillar" dies.With no one willing to help and the pillars determined to do anything to hide their secrets, Jude and Carole are really up against it this time.

TITLE: 7TH HEAVENAUTHOR: JAMES PATTERSON & MAXINE PAETROPages: 376Date: 05/07/2008Grade: 4.5Details: no. 7 Women's Murder Club MysteryLibraryClassic Patterson with lots of action, multiple mysteries and nice twist at the end.Lindsay & co seem to at last have solved the mystery of the disappearance of Michael Campion. As the son of a Governor and suffering from an untreatable heart defect, he was known nationwide, and when he vanished the whole country was interested. Now, after a tip, a young prostitute has admitted to him dying in her arms and having disposed of the body. But without that body, no other physical evidence and a retraction of the confession, is convicting the prostitute really going to be easy for attorney, Yuki?And then there is the string of arson attacks, all on the homes of the wealthy and all resulting in the dead of the owners. Without any clues as to the identity of the arsonists or their motives, this case appears to be going nowhere.With several personal dilemma's and dangers thrown in as well, this book races along, forcing the reader to keep on turning the pages.There may not be a whole lot of depth to these books, but as thrillers they do exactly what they're supposed to do.

Monday, July 21, 2008

TITLE: THE FORGOTTEN GARDENAUTHOR: KATE MORTONPages: 645Date: 05/07/2008Grade: 5+OwnIn 1913 in a harbour in Australia, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship from England.In 1975, the girl, now an older woman, travels to Cornwall, England to discover the truth about her past and the reason she was on that ship, without fully succeeding to find the answers.In 2005 Cassandra inherits a cottage in Cornwall from her grandmother, and intrigued by the mysteries surrounding the woman and the cottage, retraces her grandmother's steps, slowly piecing together the past.The story told from varying view points in the different times allows the reader to discover the truth as Cassandra does. Although the red herring that threw Cassandra for a while didn't fool me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on.Not a fast read by my standards, it was a very fascinating and satisfying one.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

TITLE: THE OVERLOOKAUTHOR: MICHAEL CONNELLYPages: 308Date: 28/06/2008Grade: 5Details: no. 13 Harry Bosch MysteryOwnHarry gets a call in the middle of the night to go to a murder scene on the Mulholland Overlook. Here he finds the body of a physicist who has been murdered execution style.It soon appears he's dealing with more then a straightforward murder since shortly before he died, the physicist had taken radio active material from a local hospital. Radio active material that is now missing.Reunited with his former lover, FBI agent Rachel, and trying to not get himself sidelined from the investigation by the FBI, Harry has his hands full. Especially since it will be down to his insights to solve the case.As always a great mystery, with Harry being his usual stubborn self. The only minor down point being that the book was a bit shorter than usual.What was interesting was the interview at the end of the book between the author, Michael Connelly, and his cop, Harry Bosch.

TITLE: EVELIENAUTHOR: MARTIN BRILLPages: 204Date: 27/06/2008Grade: 4+Details: no. 1 Evelien book DutchOwnEvelien van Brakem appears to be living a perfect life. Married to Harko, and mother to two daughters she lives in the South of Amsterdam, a neighbourhood for the rich and famous. She's about to end her affair with Theo, and finds that she's not happy with her life, although she can't say why not.When Harko has an affair or his own, Evelien shows him the door, unable to tolerate from him what he tolerated from her. However, she soon finds that a changed life doesn't make for a better life.Written in over 50 episodes, this was an interesting look at modern life in Amsterdam. And although Evelien at times made me want to shake her for her double standards, I enjoyed the read enough to consider picking up the next one when I'm back in Holland.

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About Me

My name is Marleen. I'm Dutch but have been living in Ireland for well over 15 years now. I have a passion and love for reading and books. Since early 2008 I have been lucky enough to have been working part time in the library in Bailieborough, Co. Cavan where among other things I run the library reading group.
I will read almost anything that has words in it, and post my thoughts on everything I read in this blog:

Review Disclaimer

In this blog I write my thoughts on every book I read. Some I will have brought home from the library, some will have been bought while others will have been sent to me for review. I do not get paid for reading and reviewing any books and all opinions are mine and mine alone. Whether a book was borrowed, bought or received will be indicated at the top of every review.

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* Feel free to email me with an offer, but please have a look at my blog and the books I've read in the past first to check if your genre is one I'm likely to enjoy.

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